When Sarfraz walked out to bat at four in T20Is against Scotland earlier this month, it seemed as a move to offer some 'batting time' for the senior pro, but with the World Cup looming large and increased significance for the number four slot in limited overs, the Pakistan captain might well continue batting at four in a bid to offer more balance and experience.

"I have been continuously batting at No. 4 [recently] and I would like to continue there," Sarfraz said ahead of the T20I tri-series involving Australia and hosts Zimbabwe.

"We are basically trying to build ahead of the World Cup. If you look at the ODI side, we haven't made many changes. Fakhar Zaman, Shadab, Haris [Sohail] who is back in the side, Babar Azam at top, Hafeez and Malik are around. So we are settling and it is good that the team is performing and we are going in right direction with the right combination."

It was Mickey Arthur, the head coach of Pakistan, who persuaded Sarfraz to bat at 4 earlier this year during the tour of New Zealand and it paid immediate dividends with Pakistan winning the T20I series 2-1 after being clean-swept in ODIs. Also, the arrival of some talented all-rounders like Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf helped Pakistan settle into a space of flexibility.

Pakistan are currently the number one side in T20Is, and, without doubt, will be under pressure to maintain the spot as long as they can. Their skipper, however, played the cards close to his chest while maintaining that there won't be any 'extra pressure' on the team.

"We will definitely go with our best preparation, as in T20s no team is easy to beat. We actually don't really think about being No. 1 or ratings. When we were not No. 1, we never thought about the rankings so all we have to do is to play naturally without getting into such details. I only urge the players to give their best and leave all the other things aside," Sarfraz said.

Pakistan are currently training in Lahore ahead of the tri-series, and the preparations have been 'good' according to their captain Sarfraz. "We got a couple of days here (Lahore) and three days there (Zimbabwe) to train before the series. Our preparation is good," he said.

Speaking of the possible wickets ahead of the series, the 31-year old said: "I have toured Zimbabwe twice and, on both occasions, the conditions were different. In 2013 it was grassy with some bounce and in 2015 it was slow with moisture. This time around I've got to know that it will be colder and I feel the toss will be vital. So we need to assess the pitch to make our decisions. Overall, we are in a good position and hopeful of good results. But this tri-series going to be tough and you can expect some competitive cricket."

Sarfraz also noted that "Australia is a strong team and, although they have got many new players, they know exactly how to adapt themselves."

Pakistan are scheduled to play a five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe following the conclusion of T20Is, and the skipper admitted that there would be pressure captaining all three formats for the country besides improving his own game.

"Obviously as a captain you are under pressure because you have to look around at a lot of things, but I always look to grab an opportunity to lead from the front. Whenever I get a chance, I try to win the game with my contribution. I am aware of my individual form and I've been working hard to contribute with both with bat and behind the wicket," he concluded.